NEWTON
YEAR IN REVIEW
Highlights from 2016 Inside Today
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FRIDAY, DEC. 30, 2016 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
Newton Daily News
2016 Year in Review
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Featuring:
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12 months • 254 newspapers • 1,016 front page stories
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Former NPD officer sentenced, fined Hamell to complete OWI program By Kayla Langmaid Newton Daily News After pleading guilty to charges earlier this month, a former Newton Police Department officer was set to appear in court Wednesday
for a sentencing hearing. An agreement was reached behind closed doors instead. Dustin S. Hamell, 30, plead guilty this month in district court to both carrying weapons and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, first offense. Hamell
Hamell waived any record or transcription of the sentencing hearing, according to court documents. Hamell, who was represented by Des Moines attorney Roger P. Owens, was sentenced to serve two days in jail or to complete the OWI 1st program. Completion of that program would be credited as 48 hours of jail time served. Hamell was sentenced to pay $625 and a law enforce-
Kellogg Fire Department receives grant to improve heart attack care
ment initiative surcharge. He was also fined $1250.00 plus a surcharge and drug abuse surcharge. Hamell was placed on probation for two years. He was also ordered to complete 12 hours of driving under the influence classes. The sentencing was approved by District Associate Judge Steven J. Holwerda. The charges stem from an Aug. 30 arrest in which Hamell — who was an off-du-
American Heart Association gives grant By Kayla Langmaid Newton Daily News KELLOGG — The Kellogg Fire Department received a $25,000 grant this month from the American Heart Association to go toward improving heart attack care before patients reach the hospital. The KFD is one of the three rural towns in Jasper County to receive money granted by Mission: Lifeline, an American Heart Associ-
ation community-based initiative, aimed at improving the system of care for heart attack patients throughout rural Iowa. The Prairie City Fire Department and the Baxter Rescue Unit have also received a grant. Deputy EMS Chief Mark Frymoyer said the grant went toward the purchase of a monitor that transmits messages directly to area hospitals. A doctor or medical personnel at the hospital will then recommend where
the patient should be transported by sending signals through the monitor. Hospitals involved in Mission: Lifeline are part of a system that ensures STEMI patients, whose blood flow is completely blocked to a portion of the heart, get the right care they need, as quickly as possible. Mission: Lifeline focuses on improving the system of care for these patients and at the same time KELLOGG | 3A
HAMELL | 3A
Danielle Rogers named Newton Community Marketing Manager By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News In one of the first steps in the city’s effort to improve community marketing, Danielle Rogers was hired as the Community Marketing Manager. The manager position was created following several discussions by city council about the direction of the city’s marketing plan and its decision to bring the responsibilities within the Newton city government. In this role, Rogers will work to advance the goals of the city and its partner agencies through the implementa-
Submitted Photo Front row, left to right, Kenleigh Jack, Korie Jack, Dylon Gannaway, Kailer Stevenson, Mark Frymoyer, Courtney Gannaway, Mason Gannaway, Alex Frymoyer; back row, left to right, Curt Babbitt, Calvin Dhondt, Floyd Campbell, Jen Gannaway, Al Esqueda, Jason Hammer, Josie Bailey. Not pictured, Dennis Witte, Denny Stevenson, Todd VanManen, Rick Norrish.
ty NPD officer at the time — was pulled over on Interstate 80 between Mitchellville and Colfax and was found to have a loaded weapon within his reach. According to the Iowa State Patrol, shortly after 10 p.m. on Aug. 30, state troopers received a radio call about an eastbound truck that was “all over the road” near mile
tion of a cohesive approach to city branding, marketing and outreach. “D an i e l l e’s wealth of experience in communications and branding provides the background and expertise needed for this role,” director Rogers of finance and d e v e l o p m e nt Bryan Friedman said. “Her dedication to ROGERS | 3A
Budget season begins for city council By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News City council will begin the budgeting process by hearing from community stakeholders at its meeting on Monday. Representatives from eight community organizations will speak with the council about work that was accomplished in the past year along with future goals and requests they have for next year. The stakeholders include the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, the YMCA,
IMPACT, the Newton Development Corporation, the United Way of Jasper County, Heart of Iowa Regional Transit, Newton Main Street and the Newton Housing Development Corporation. Last year, the city allocated more than $165,000 to six agencies with the bulk of the money, $75,000 going to NDC. IMPACT and the United Way did not receive any funds. For this year, NDC is requesting the same amount, CITY COUNCIL | 3A
Sinclair hopes to tackle budget, Medicaid transition in upcoming session Newton Daily News Editor’s Note: Each year before the Iowa Legislative Session convenes, the Newton Daily News interviews local legislators. The following Q&A features Iowa State Sen. Amy Sinclair, who is serving her second term in Senate District 14, which includes all of Clarke, Decatur, Wayne and Lucas counties with most of Marion County and the southeast quarter of Jasper County. The Legislature convenes Jan. 9, 2017. Q. What are your top priorities as you enter the 2017
Legislative session? A. There is no single, most-important issue. Several issues will come before the Legislature that deserve a solid plan. The state’s budget decline due to the commodities market must be our top concern, as well as Sinclair dealing with the Medicaid transition and water quality. One important issue beyond those top
concerns just listed is to find equity in the state’s education funding formula. Currently Iowa’s funding has two built-in flaws: 1) a difference district-to-district in the cost per pupil and 2) no acknowledgment of the transportation cost variances for necessarily small districts. The district cost per pupil inequity has been in place since the state began its current funding formula for local districts. When it was enacted, the formula allowed local school districts to levy an additional per pupil property tax in addition to the state per pupil funding based
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provide educational opportunities. These costs vary by district size and population and create a huge inequity in the funding going into each classroom across the state. Last year I introduced a bill that would address both the cost per pupil funding, as well as the transportation funding. It was a ten-year plan, developed with input from several education stakeholders, that would eliminate the inequities and allow schools to provide the same high-quality educational opportunities for SINCLAIR | 9A
FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................12A Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................11A
on historical expenditures. Today this means that some districts are allowed to locally levy a larger amount per pupil than other districts. For very urban districts, this can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars a year they are unable to access for educational purposes. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the issue of transportation costs. In rural areas of the state where districts must cover larger areas to transport fewer students, the cost to get a child to school may exceed $1000 per student, which comes directly from the amount available to
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Newton Christian lego league
Team advances to state competition / 2A
Volume No. 115 No. 158 1 section 14 pages
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